Author(s): Elaine Wei
Abstract:
Archival data from the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS; 2005) were used to examine variables that predict whether elementary school students with ASD participated in the general or alternate assessment. Results indicated that receptive and expressive communication abilities appear to influence participation in the general vs. alternate assessment in tandem with access to assistive technology. Students with ASDs were approximately 2.71 times more likely to participate in the general assessment when they had access to assistive technology. Next, we performed a second, follow-up analysis for only ASD students with communication problems. The odds ratio value increased to 14.9 indicating that ASD students with communication problems that had access to assistive technology were almost 15 times more likely to participate in the general assessment than students with communication problems without access to assistive technology.
Citation:
Barnard-Brak, L., Thompson, S., Wei, T., & Richman, D. M. (2014). Assistive technology as a predictor of general or alternate assessment among elementary-aged students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Assistive Technology, 26(2), 81-87.